1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to exercise apparatus. More specifically, the present invention is drawn to a light-weight, portable, isometric exercise apparatus which allows a user to develop muscular strength without the use of heavy, space-consuming barbells and/or weight machines.
2. Description of Related Art
In the mid to late 1940s, an exercise regimen was developed and marketed as xe2x80x9cDynamic Tensionxe2x80x9d. This particular regimen, now called xe2x80x9cisometricsxe2x80x9d, became popular because it involved almost no investment in equipment and could be practiced in the privacy of one""s home. In recent years, however, isometric exercise has fallen out of favor with a majority of fitness enthusiasts. Many believe that the reason for the disfavor is the need to quantify the exercise experience. In short, the exerciser wants some way, besides time, to tangibly measure the amount of weight lifted during the exercise session.
In the prior art, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,607,841 (Gala), 4,647,038 (Noffsinger), 4,647,039 (Noffsinger), 4,890,495 (Slane), 4,912,638 (Pratt, Jr.), 4,972,711 (Jain et al.), 5,037,089 (Spagnuolo et al.), 5,314,394 (Ronan), British Patent 2,124,916 A and European Patent 0,445,617 A1 all disclose exercise equipment having means to measure the quantity of weight lifted or moved. However, all the above patents involve space devouring machines which are somewhat complicated to use and are not easily portable.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,019,861 (Titus), 4,371,162 (Hartzell), 5,112,287 (Brewer), 5,269,737 (Sobotka), 5,480,369 (Dudley), 5,653,665 (Neeley) and British Patent 2,048,085 A show exercise equipment of the resistance type. The instant patents have no means to measure and translate the quantity of resistance to a weight readout.
WIPO Patent WO 98/23335 discloses a portable isometric exerciser having a load-measuring device. The exerciser, however can only be utilized when the user is in a standing position. Furthermore, only the back and leg muscles receive benefit from the isometric exercise.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to disclose a light-weight, portable, isometric exercise apparatus having an LED readout indicator for converting the applied force to weight as will subsequently be described and claimed in the instant invention.
The instant invention is a light-weight, portable, exercise apparatus adapted for home and travel. The apparatus employs isometrics in a manner that develops more resistance than Olympic bar bells. The present invention has registered more than one-thousand pounds of measured force. Thus, a user can develop muscular strength in the same way as if exercising with bar bells, without having the attendant problems (non-portability, cumbersomeness, heaviness, etc.) that bar bells present.
The exercise apparatus of the instant invention consists essentially of five major components which are (1) a metal platform; (2) a strap/cable/pulley system; (3) a sensor; (4) an LED readout module; and (5) an exercise member or bar. The components are quasi-separable and are sized to make the invention conveniently portable so that the user may easily continue workouts while away from home.
Versatility of design allows a user of the exercise apparatus to practice at least four basic lift positions, namely the bench press, the squat lift, the military press, and the biceps curl. The apparatus also allows the user to vary positions for each basic lift.
The LED readout module is innovative in that it may be programmed to measure the attained weight xe2x80x9cliftedxe2x80x9d to the exact pound (or kilogram). Since the weight xe2x80x9cliftedxe2x80x9d fluctuates during the lift and eventually retreats to zero, the readout can be programmed to save the highest attained weight so that the user may check after each lift.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide an exercise apparatus which utilizes the isometric principle.
It is another object of the invention to provide an isometric exercise apparatus which is light-weight, versatile and portable.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an isometric exercise apparatus that develops more resistance than Olympic bar bells.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an isometric exercise apparatus that measures and displays the weight xe2x80x9cliftedxe2x80x9d during a workout.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in an apparatus for the purposes described which are inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing their intended purposes.
These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.